Legal counsel quits after 2 years at post

Just two years after she was hired as general counsel of the North Broward Hospital District, Laura R. Seidman is gone.

The hospital district, which operates under the brand name Broward Health, didn't announce Seidman's departure until it was questioned Friday afternoon by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel . Her picture, however, was already gone from the hospital district's Web site.

In response to the query, a spokeswoman issued a two-paragraph statement on behalf of the hospital district's commissioners stating in part: "Laura Seidman resigned Thursday as general counsel for the North Broward Hospital District."

Seidman's resignation from the post, which paid about $230,000 a year, was effective immediately.

She'll continue to be paid for the rest of her contract, which runs until March 2009, and will receive $10,000 for her legal expenses, hospital district board chairman Miguel "Mike" Fernandez said.

He said he couldn't provide many details until both sides have signed a termination agreement that settles all legal issues between the former general counsel and the hospital district.

Seidman could not be reached to comment Friday.

The hospital district collects taxes and operates four public hospitals, including Broward General Medical Center, and dozens of other health facilities in the northern two-thirds of the county.

The district, which is run by a seven-member board of commissioners appointed by the governor, has long been a hotbed of political intrigue.

Seidman was one of the subjects of Commissioner Rebecca Stoll's criticism last year. Stoll's main target was then-chief executive Alan Levine, who has since resigned to take over Louisiana's health agency. Stoll said Seidman's legal advice led to mistakes on "many occasions."

An independent investigation conducted for the commissioners by the Miami law firm Rafferty, Stolzenberg, Gelles, Tenenholtz & Flynn found that Seidman could have issued different legal advice on some occasions, but said the district didn't suffer any harm as a result.

Fernandez said last year's controversy and investigation had nothing to do with Seidman's departure. He said there were disagreements over performance issues, but he declined to give details while the settlement is pending.

"It's been agreed to. It's been mutual," he said. "Right now, Laura has agreed to resign right now, and we've accepted her resignation, and that's where we are today."

Seidman, 42, came to the job with no experience in health-care law. She had been the assistant corporate counsel for Franklin Resources Inc., in the investment company's Fort Lauderdale office.

She had political connections from her involvement in the local Republican Party and donations to Republican candidates. Her husband is County Court Judge Lee Jay Seidman.

Troy Kishbaugh, the deputy general counsel, is taking over the legal department, said Sara Howley, vice president of corporate communications and marketing for the hospital district.

The general counsel reports directly to the commissioners, and they will hire a permanent replacement.